Transcript of Ambush Interview of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

On The Priority Bills Of The Senate Before Session Breaks For Recess

Q: Sir, last session na po ngayon, ano po yung mga mai-rereport po ng Senado na maipapasa at ang mga ipapriority sa pagbabalik po ng trial?

SP: Priority namin yung impeachment, sapagkat tatapusin namin yun and then marami kaming nakabinbing batas na dapat ipasa, yung Anti-Trust Law, yung Land Use Law, pag-uusapan naming yung RH bill, yung major revision ng AMLA, saka namin ipapasa yun. Mayroon kaming pag-uusapan sa AMLA, yung terrorism financing. At saka yung unilateral application to the courts without notice to the depositor. Pwede namin yun pag-usapan ngayon at kung magkakaroon kami ng enough members here, kung walang magtatanong, ipapasa namin.

Q: Kahit sir matapos yung dalawa dun sa AMLA, may isa pang pending sa committee, yung expansion ng coverage?

SP: Yung expansion of the coverage will be the expansion of the predicate crime. Tatalakayin namin yun when we come back. Maraming issues yun e.

Q: Di kayo sir pressured dun sa Senate na deadline ng FATF?

SP: We are not bound to act on the say so of anybody. If we are going to be that jumpy as a country simply because these foreigners will sneeze, and immediately jump because they sneeze, I don't subscribe to that.

Q: Kasi ma ba-black list daw po tayo?

SP: They can black list us. We can retaliate also if we have to retaliate.

Q: Ano po pwede gawin natin sir?

SP: Hindi naman ako yung namamahala sa bayan.

Q: Paano sir yung impact sa mga OFW yung tatamaan daw pag na-black list tayo?

SP: Ano naman ang kinalaman ng mga OFW diyan? They are ordinary human beings. They are not terrorists. They are not engaged in big-time transmission of funds. They are using OFWs as a scare. Scare tactic.

Q: Yung processing daw po ng documents sir? Kasi sir kung nasa black list na tayo mas susuriin nila lahat.

SP: There are so many ways of transferring funds now. You can deposit money now abroad and then produce the pesos here for them. They do not have to transmit it. They deposit to the account of the money transmitter and then they can withdraw money here. What are they talking about? Sila lang ba ang marunong sa banking? International banking?

Q: So sir hindi dapat ma threaten ang Pilipinas at saka government?

SP: Dapat hindi tayo tina-takot. Ayoko ng tina-takot tayo ng maski sino. I want to assert the honor of this country.

Q: Sir di ba po certified as urgent ng Malacañang yung mga bills na yun?

SP: Yung terrorist financing at saka yung amendment sa AMLA but, yung expansion ng coverage pag-aaralan namin yun. Kagaya ngayon pati Rentas Internas nakakabit na sa AMLA. Titingnan namin yun baka abusuhin yun e. Not that I'm against the collection of correct taxes. They can go after the account if they want. I'm concerned about the impact of any government act like this on the liberties of the people and on the privacy of business enterprises. Otherwise, sira ang ulo ng ilagay mo diyan sa mga ahensiya na yan, baka kurakutin yung mga taxpayers natin na walang ka muwang-muwang sa mga batas.

On The Adjournment of Session

Q: Sir, during the break may mga committee hearings pa rin?

SP: Meron. We authorize all the committees to function and conduct investigations in aid of legislation.

Q: Pero marami po bang nagpaalam na mag-a-out of the country para sa Lenten break, sir?

SP: Ang inaprubahan ko lang ay yung IPU, so far. Karamihan ng mga biyahe nila ay out of their own pockets not funded by the Senate. Yung IPU is funded by the Senate.

Q: Sir, sino yung mga a-attend sa IPU na mga senators?

SP: Hindi ko alam. Ang head ng delegation ay si Senator Drilon.

Q: Sir, kailan yung last time na kayo yung nag-travel?

SP: Ako? Hindi ako mahilig, e. Mahilig ako magbiyahe sa aking probinsiya. Dun lang ako nagpupunta. Natutulog sa ilalim ng kahoy. Eating alamang, panahon ng alamang ngayon. Eating seashells and fresh dilis. Gusto ko yung naglalakad sa bundok eh. I go to the jungle. I go to the mangroves.

Q: Sir, makakatulong po ba yung more than a month na break ninyo para makapag-refresh and unwind?

SP: I am always refreshed. I go swimming. I go diving. Ako nag-d-dive na walang diving equipment. Yun ang ginagawa ko nung bata ako. Pumapana ng isda noong araw, walang spear. Goggles lang ginagamit naming. Pinapana namin yung isda. Pati octopus.

Q: Ngayon sir, nakakapag-swimming pa kayo?

SP: Nag-wa-water-ski pa ako. Madali lang yung water-ski. Single ski lang 'yun. Hindi ako yung double ski, pang mature yun. Kung professional ka na, single ski at saka pwede ka mag-ski na walang ski. Paa mo lang depende sa speed ng speedboat.

Q: Hanggang ngayon yun, sir?

SP: Oo. Bakit? Madali lang yun.

Q: Sa Cagayan n'yo sir ginagawa?

SP: Oo.

Q: Sir, ngayong holy week anong plano n'yo?

SP: Dito ako sa Maynila, magdadasal.

Q: Pwede namin kayo tawagan during the break sir?

SP: Ah, pwede. Babalik naman ako before the end of the month. I'll be here.

On The Impeachment Trial Of Chief Justice Corona

Q: Kaso pa rin sir ni Corona ang inyong aasikasuhin during the break?

SP: Tapos na pag-aaral ko 'don. I've studied it already- the laws, the rules of evidence. Wala na akong ginagawa, nag-ru-ruling na lang ako.

Q: Hintayin ninyo na lang yung ebidensiya ng defense?

SP: Oo. Tatapusin natin. Alam mo 'yan, magpepresenta yung prosecution, Mag-pepresenta yung defense. Yung prosecution, pwedeng mag-presenta uli ng rebuttal evidence.

Q: Sa rebuttal na lang sir pwede yung dollar deposit?

SP: Hindi ko alam. Bahala na yung prosecution. Hindi ko tuturuan sila how they will handle their case.

Q: Sir, anong dating sa inyo na lumalabas na lima na lang pala yung properties ni CJ Corona?

SP: Karapatan ng depensa 'yun eh na maipaliwanag yun. Kung lima lang ang property, bakit mo gagawing sampu?

Q: Pero hindi naman humina yung kaso, sir?

SP: One killing is enough to send you to jail. You do not have to kill a hundred people 'di ba?

On the Civil Service Commission

TS: Ang House, humihirit. Nilapitan yung Civil Service Board. Gusto nila, bawiin natin yung bill na pinasa natin na Career Executive Service Board.

SP: Bill na?

TS: 'Yung pinasa natin na... anong tawag natin dun?

Q: 'Yung Career Executive Service Law.

TS: Career Executive Service Law.

Q: Di ba ho ngayon, dalawa yung policy making body. Nilagay na natin dito sa loob, in-absorb na natin.

TS: Nilagay natin sa Civil Service Commission 'yung Civil Service Board. Hinihirit itong Civil Service Board...

Q: CES Board.

TS: CES Board... Na i-veto ni Noynoy.

SP: Ha?

TS: Gusto nila, i-veto ni PNoy. Ayaw i-veto ni Pnoy.

SP: 'Yung CESO?

TS: Oo. Ang hirit nila ngayon, mag-Joint Resolution daw tayo na bawiin 'yung pinasa natin.

SP: No. No, no, no.

TS: Kaya nga eh.

SP: Pinasa natin 'yun. Bakit natin babawiin?

TS: At saka ineksplika na sa kanila nung hearing.

SP: Iyang CESO na yan, CESO dapat yan under the Civil Service

Q: 'Yun nga po, that's the law that we passed.

SP: That's an anachronistic. We created that under the...during the time of President Marcos. He established a Career System. Now, we have reorganized a government under a new Constitution. We have Civil Service Commission that handles the entire Civil Service and that body ought to be under the Civil Service. In fact it's... Ako I'm against the presence of that unit. It should be the Civil Service that establishes the principle of Careerism.

Q: It was also passed in the House, so they have adopted our version...

SP: But, I cannot remember anymore our version.

TS: Nilagay nga natin. Nilagay natin sa loob ng Civil Service Commission.

SP: Correct. It has to be under the Civil Service. I think the trouble with this people, they want to be have their own empire.

TS: Ayon.

SP: My God, there was a Sub-Order in the government system.

TS: So, inform the House that we are not interested.

SP: We are not inclined.

TS: We are not inclined. Wala ng caucus.

SP: We are not inclined. Period.

TS: Hindi tayo mag-cacaucus ano? Wala ng Caucus?

SP: Wala na. They asked the President to veto the bill and he did not want to veto and we are going to over ride? And say...

TS: Hindi. We will veto ourselves. SP: Yes. It's funny.

TS: Kaya nga.

Q: Sir, sino ang head ng CES Board?

SP: Ano?

TS: Ang naka pirma dun sa request eh, Justice Abisamis eh.

SP: Sino?

TS: Justice Abisamis.

SP: Justice Abisamis?

TS: Matanda na. Si ano ata yun eh... Kumpare ko ata 'yun, dating Justice ng Supreme Court. I think. I'm not sure. Meron akong kumpareng Justice Abisamis eh. Anyway...

SP: May kanya-kanyang kingdom eh. Gusto nila, may kingdom by the sea sila. Ang tinitingnan ko ngayon eh, yung Anti-Trust para magkaroon ng arm ang gobyerno. At saka, pag-aralan natin 'yung budget.

Q: Sir...

TS: Ano 'yun?

Q: Napag-usapan nyo na sir 'yung request for subpoena po para sa PCIJ? Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism po.

SP: Ah, 'yung subpoena for...

Q: Request.

SP: Hindi ko alam kung ano ba ang gusto nila bakit nila sinu-subpoena 'yung... Anong alam ng PCIJ?

TS: Wala pa tayong tini-take up.

Q: Tungkol po dun sa reports nila about SALNs ng ibang government officials. Kay PNoy, sa inyo and other government officials.

SP: Anong kinalaman dun sa impeachment?

Q: I-co-compare...

SP: What has that got to do with the impeachment?

Q: I-co-compare daw sir 'yung pattern ng filing.

SP: But those people are not under impeachment. If they have violated, if I have violated the law or the Constitution then, I'm open to be charged. But, my case has nothing do with the case pending in the Senate.

Q: So sir, ide-deny niyo po yung request for subpoena para sa PCIJ?

SP: 'Yun ang form pero nakalagay dun ang mga column eh, na to be filled, di ba? You have to fill assessed value, market value, and then, acquisition cost. Nandoon sa column ng SALN di ba?

Q: So sir, hindi nyo i-susubpoena?

TS: Hindi, 'yung mga ganun kasi, mga ganoong klaseng proposition o kaya pag-sa-submit ng ebidensya, hindi na kailangang i-subpoena 'yun. Gusto nila edi ipresenta nila tapos tingnan natin kung tatanggapin ng korte o hindi. You don't need to subpoena for that, nilabas nga nila sa dyaryo, bakit nila i-su-subpoena pa. I-submit lang nila.

Q: Sir, kung yung mga witnesses mismo sir. Kung sina Mangahas mismo 'yung gusto nila i-present?

TS: E di, mag-presenta sila kung gusto nila. They are not prevented.

Q: Kahit walang subpoena? SP: Kung gusto ni Malou pumunta dito, why not?

TS: Si Tobby Tiangco nga walang subpoena.

Q: Ah, kung mag-vovolunteer sir? Kung mag-vovolunteer sila na mag-testify? Pero sir, if the purpose sir, is the same sir, 'yung comparison ng SALN would you allow that sir?

SP: So what if we have the same thing and then... That means we all violated the Constitution. Now, let the Justice Department file cases against all of us. Then, we have to defend ourselves.

Q: Sir hindi ninyo... i-dedeny lang po ninyo 'yung request for subpoena?

SP: I will not tackle it.